Get Covered Illinois Announces more than 160 “Cover Your Community” Events for Saturday

Statewide Day of Education Push to Reach Uninsured

CHICAGO - Get Covered Illinois today announced that its statewide network of partners will host an array of "Cover Your Community" events -- from door-to-door canvassing to community fairs and a parade -- to educate residents about their health care coverage options under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Saturday, Nov. 2.

"We know shopping for health insurance can be confusing and we know people all over Illinois have questions and concerns about the process," said Brian Gorman, Director of Outreach and Consumer Education for Get Covered Illinois. "That is why our focus has always been about engaging and educating consumers. 'Cover Your Community' is a coordinated statewide demonstration of that commitment."

The events are planned to coincide with the start of the second month of Get Covered Illinois, and to encourage uninsured residents to continue to learn more about their health care options. More than 160 Cover Your Community events are planned in cities and towns all across the state. For a complete list of Cover Your Community events, please visit getcoveredillinois.gov/get-help/ http://getcoveredillinois.gov/get-help/ . Once on the Get Help page, click the "events page http://getcoveredillinois.gov/events " link, enter your zip code or address, and then filter by the date "Nov. 2" to see what events are happening in your area.

A small sampling of the events planned for Saturday include:

* Casa Juan Diego in Chicago, in partnership with the Pilsen Wellness Center and Casa Guanajuato, will host a traditional family Mexican Day of the Dead festival at 5 p.m. featuring a parade with performing artists and a special altar dedicated to those who died of pre-existing conditions and were unable to get insurance. Bilingual Navigators will be onsite to enroll and answer consumers' questions about their healthcare options.

* La Voz Latina in Rockford, in partnership with the Winnebago County Health Department, will host a Spanish ACA workshop with bilingual Navigators from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

* Truman College in Chicago will host a Health Fair from 9 a.m. to noon sponsored by the Muslim Women Resource Center and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

* The Springfield Urban League, in partnership with AmeriCorps, will host volunteers and Navigators as they canvass neighborhoods educating uninsured residents about their health care options from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

* Southeast Illinois College in Harrisburg, in partnership with the Egyptian Health Department, will host an education and craft fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of the 36th Annual Heritage Festival.

Under the ACA, thousands of Illinoisans who were previously unable to get insurance can now get covered. All plans included in the Marketplace must:

- Cover recommended preventive services free of charge

- Include a cap on out-of-pocket costs

- Have no lifetime or yearly dollar limit on coverage

- Not reject anyone on the basis of a pre-existing condition

Individuals, families and small business owners have until March 31, 2014 to enroll in a health plan. In order to get coverage beginning in January, enrollment must be completed by Dec. 15.

There are several ways for Illinois residents to enroll for health insurance:

- Visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov to enroll online

- Call 866-311-1119, seven day a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to enroll over the phone

- Fill out a paper application at a community partner site with the assistance of a trained Navigator

GetCoveredIllinois.gov http://getcoveredillinois.gov/ is the official website for Illinois residents to compare health plans side-by-side, get help from Navigators or Help Desk phone specialists and apply for financial support. Since launching on October 1, the Get Covered Illinois website has hosted more than 320,000 unique visitors, and more than 147,000 have participated in the online screening tool. On October 20, Get Covered Illinois launched a Spanish-language version of its website.